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And he was known for his business Armitage Leisure Services, which sponsored several local bowling trophies. The Lindley-based company supplies gambling machines, pool tables and other gaming equipment to pubs and other entertainment venues.

Ian Armitage receiving his medal after officiating in a local football final which was played at Huddersfield Town's old ground on Leeds Road (Image: Maxine Armitage)

Ian was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system which affects the sufferer's mobility and motor skills, when he was 46.

Ella said: "For the 22 years that I have been on this earth, Parkinson's disease has been a very big part of those 22 years.

"My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease on the 7th of January 1998. The date that he never forgot. He was only 46.

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"I was 18 months old and my mum was pregnant with my brother. He was married for the second time with a new family, starting a new chapter in his life. It all came to a halt.

"Dad knew there was something wrong; he was a runner and used to run for miles. Runs that were meant to feel easy to him, started to feel difficult and an effort so he knew that something wasn't right."

Despite his diagnosis Ian threw himself into an exercise regime going for regular runs and attending a gym.

Ian Armitage took part in a referees' relay run from Wembley to Huddersfield Town in 1985 (Image: Maxine Armitage)

He kept the disease a secret, away from his friends, for 10 years until he could no longer hide it.

Ella said: "As a family, Parkinson's was the norm. That's what Dad had and that's what we dealt with.

"It became the everyday routine, especially for my brother and myself. Mum would ask one of us to 'just help dad, hold his hand' as he would get 'stuck' and would struggle to move.

"The stability of holding someone's hand, child or adult, helped him along until his Parkinson's medication had kicked in."

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After her dad died Ella decided to do something to honour her dad's memory and raise awareness of Parkinson's.

Ella, a self-confessed couch potato, traded the sofa for the pavements of Huddersfield - and now she is on her way to marathon level fitness.

She said: "I'm running the London Marathon to raise money for families like ourselves, that are going through/been through what we have and help them in any way the money can and, what was too late for my dad, ultimately to find a cure for Parkinson's disease for the future.

Ella Armitage, of Almondbury, who is running the London Marathon for Parkinson's UK in memory of her late father Ian

"I also want to run this race for my dad. In his younger years he was a very keen runner, participating in a charity run which saw him run from Wembley Stadium back to our home town stadium of Huddersfield Town...

"He always wanted to run a marathon but Parkinson's got the better of him all too soon. I'm going to run the London Marathon for him."

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Ella, who is training to become a teacher, added: "I wanted to do something to raise money that was going to be a challenge and not something I'd find easy, and it had to be something that would have meant something to my dad.

"For those of you that know me, I have never ever run before in my life, or exercised for that matter. I am going to complete the marathon and get over that finish line!"